Chapter 370: How Many Floors Can a Bag of Rice Carry
She had no idea what technique had just been used.
If it happened again, how could they possibly defend against it?
"What was that just now?"
Because of his severe injuries, Kakashi had collapsed to the ground—and ironically avoided the previous attack. But Chōza and the others who had rushed in were all cut in half at the waist.
"This method of attack doesn't match the abilities Pain displayed before… Could this Pain have even more powers?"
While Kakashi stared wide-eyed, analyzing Tendō Pain's abilities, Li Yao—controlling Tendō from within—calmly sensed the bodies around and nodded with satisfaction. He glanced at Jiraiya, whose face was frozen in shock inside the interstitial space.
Still feel so indifferent now?
Heh.
Li Yao's Tendō Pain smiled coldly, then raised his right hand and pointed toward Kakashi.
"Banshō Ten'in."
Gravitational force burst from Tendō's palm, yanking Kakashi toward him.
Clink!
A chain wrapped around a stone pillar—Kakashi, in a desperate move, used it to anchor himself and stop being pulled.
But this time, there was no one to help him escape.
And this wasn't Nagato's Tendō anymore.
Li Yao's clone, controlling the body directly, smiled faintly.
"Pointless resistance."
He suddenly clenched his right fist. The previous dispersed gravity compressed into a thin strand, targeting Kakashi's waist.
"No—!"
Kakashi's expression changed drastically. The previous gravitational pull had acted like a wide net pulling him in.
Now, it had become a razor-sharp thread wrapping around his waist.
That made all the difference.
A net you could block with a chain; a thread was like charging headlong into a drawn blade.
Kakashi tried to escape. He instantly let go of the chain and moved with the pull, hoping to dodge the cut.
But as before—he wasn't up against Nagato's Tendō anymore.
Li Yao's clone had far greater speed, chakra control, and mastery over the Six Paths than Nagato ever had, who relied solely on Madara's Rinnegan.
Kakashi had barely released his grip before searing pain shot through his waist.
Rip—!
Like cloth being torn, Kakashi's body was sliced clean in half at the waist.
Thump thump!
His two halves hit the ground, raising dust. His upper half stared helplessly at Tendō.
He wasn't dead yet—but he was close.
A Katsuyu clone had been monitoring Kakashi. Seeing him cut in half, it rushed over, falling silent at the sight.
Still, it carefully pushed the two halves together and began healing—doing its best to keep him alive.
Li Yao watched and shook his head, smiling.
As expected… some lives matter more than others.
When other people were cut down, Katsuyu didn't bother. But when someone like Kakashi, tied to the Hokage lineage, was injured, it tried everything to save him.
That's what humanity was—emotions and attachments clouding judgment. Love and hate, favoritism, bias—all the roots of conflict.
Naruto… no, let's not get sidetracked.
Li Yao's Tendō shook his head, then raised a hand and flicked a finger at Kakashi.
The compressed repulsive force turned into a razor and slashed forward.
Slice!
Katsuyu had no combat ability. It could only watch as Kakashi was sliced cleanly in two again—this time, from forehead to jaw.
Kakashi died instantly. Katsuyu could do nothing but relay the brutal news to Tsunade.
Tsunade, informed by the slug's transmission, now knew that Kakashi had been cut in half and that Tendō Pain possessed yet another unfamiliar ability.
"Why…?"
"Was Jiraiya's intel wrong?"
With Tendō showcasing two techniques that didn't match the expected gravity and repulsion, Tsunade fell into doubt.
If each Path's ability wasn't fixed, or if Jiraiya hadn't uncovered everything…
Just how powerful was Pain?
Despair crept into her heart.
But as Hokage, she could not falter.
"Come with me!"
Tsunade stood and dashed forward. She would face Pain herself—he had to be stopped.
As Hokage, she had to be the one to defeat him.
"Yes, Lady Hokage!"
The ANBU guards around her answered with red eyes.
They knew everything that had happened on the battlefield. Katsuyu had told her, and she had told them.
This was no longer the time for backline strategy.
This was a final battle—no retreat.
"It's about time."
After killing Kakashi, Tendō Pain slowly floated into the air. Li Yao had sensed the arrival of a small toad, filled with natural energy, appearing atop Konoha's wall.
Naruto in Sage Mode was almost back.
Before he returned, Li Yao needed to give him a certain "gift" from the original story.
"Ichi dai mi káng jǐ lóu…"
"Ichi dai mi káng èr lóu…"
Tendō Pain murmured lyrics Li Yao remembered well.
"Wait—!"
"Pain, what are you doing?!"
In the distance, Tsunade was leaping across rooftops toward the rising Tendō. A sense of overwhelming dread surged through her.
She didn't think Pain was retreating—he was clearly preparing a large-scale attack.
Whoosh!
The Animal Path leapt into the air and landed on the giant summoned bird, flying into the sky and away from Konoha.
Once above the village outskirts, the Animal Path summoned the other five Paths and Konan.
"Nagato, what just happened?"
"Why did you summon me back?"
After the six Pains lost control earlier, Konan had realized something was wrong and flown to Nagato's location.
But halfway there, she'd been summoned back, confused and anxious.
"I'm fine. Circle around and approach from another direction. Don't reveal my location."
The Animal Path replied. Members of the Aburame clan had been trailing Konan. If they followed her back, Li Yao's presence would be exposed.
He couldn't be discovered yet. And he couldn't kill Konan either—not yet. She still needed to play her part.
So the only option was to summon her back and redirect her approach.
(END CHAPTER)
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